Public Sector: HSE seeks agency for farming safety brief

The brief to work on the 'Make The Promise' campaign was put out last
week by the Central Office of Information (COI). Agencies will be
invited to pitch once initial submissions are received. The one-year
brief starts in April.

The campaign is a strand of the HSE's 'Agriculture Revisited' programme,
set up to reduce the numbers of deaths and injuries in agriculture.

Agriculture is one of the most dangerous jobs, accounting for about one
in five work-related deaths in Britain every year. In the past ten
years, there have been 455 deaths in farming.

The main causes of fatalities include workplace transport, falls from
height and being struck by moving objects and livestock.

The brief reads: 'MTP takes a "hearts and minds" approach, asking
farmers to make a promise, not to government but to themselves, their
families and their farms, to come home safely at the end of the
day.'

So far, the campaign has revolved around 'promise knots' - knots made of
baling twine distributed to farmers that they can display around their
farms to remind themselves of their pledge to improve their safety
behaviour.

Promise knots have received mixed comments on sites such as
farmingforum.co.uk and the COI's brief acknowledges that they have been
'controversial'.

The primary target audience is farmers and farm workers on smaller,
often family-run farms. Also more at risk are farmers aged between 35
and 44.

The HSE aims to gain broadcast coverage, plus national farming trade
media and local media, alongside attendance at trade shows and
conferences.